From the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office:

ALCOHOL OFFENSE:
AG Wright Middle School, 100 Wood Drive, 10/30, 12:54 p.m. Double, double toil and trouble, Deputy S.C. Hall responded to a student in trouble. It was discovered a student brought in an elixir stronger than witches brew. The alcohol was seized and a criminal complaint for possession of alcohol on school grounds was submitted. Luckily, the student wasn’t ex-spelled.

ASSAULT:
Maple Drive, 10/30, 8:17 p.m. Deputy S. Waheed responded to a monstrous offense. A witness heard a commotion outside, but it was not trick-or-treaters. He would observe a female being assaulted by a male. Contact was made with the victim and it was discovered the suspect was her boo. She was provided resources for Empowerhouse while a warrant for assault and battery was submitted for the suspect.

HIT AND RUN:
Area of Butler Road and Cambridge Street, 10/30, 8:11 a.m. Deputy R.A. Weatherholtz responded to a spooky situation. The victim was traveling in the area when another vehicle merged into them. The suspect vehicle would quickly vanish like a ghost. Area of Courthouse Road and Austin Ridge Drive, 10/30, 8:28 a.m. Deputy A.E. Epps responded to a grave problem. The victim was traveling in the area when another vehicle merged into them. The suspect vehicle would then take the Highway to Hell, also known as I-95. This mystery machine was described as a silver Toyota Tacoma.

LARCENY:
Franklin Street, 10/30, 10:37 a.m. Deputy F.C. O’Neill responded to a nightmare on Franklin Street. The victim was squashed to discover his Cash App card was stolen. The unknown boogeyman would then fraudulently use the card at nearby wicked businesses. Target, 1090 Stafford Market Place, 10/30, 11:58 a.m. We’re sure you’re dead tired reading larcenies at Stafford Market Place, but we’re bringing one more back from the grave. Deputy C.D. Sullivan made contact with staff who stopped a female suspect stealing over $180 worth of items. It was discovered this dead-icated suspect had shoplifted from the business on two other occasions. The suspect, feeling a bit rotten, was charged with three counts of larceny. She was released by the magistrate on personal recognizance.

From the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office:

DISTURBANCE:
Westminster Lane, 10/29, 6:30 p.m. Deputy B.E. Vaughn responded to a disturbance. There was a large group of people involved in a verbal argument. It was discovered a resident yelled at a driver to slow down. In response, the driver got out of his vehicle, started a verbal argument, attempted to instigate a fight, and used abusive language towards another resident. The driver was not only lectured on his driving behavior, but charged with disorderly conduct and using abusive language. He was released by the magistrate on personal recognizance.

DUI:
Stefaniga Road, 10/29, 7:08 p.m. Deputy J.W. Ahern responded to an auto accident. While en route, it was advised one of the drivers could be heard by dispatch stating he was going to “get locked up.” Deputy Ahern made contact with all parties involved, including the at fault driver. The driver had signs of intoxication, including the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. He was charged with driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content greater than .2. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $2,500 secured bond.

LARCENY:
Walmart, 125 Washington Square Plaza, 10/29, 11:38 a.m. Deputy D.R. Ludolph responded to a possible child abduction. The caller advised they feared a male and female were hiding a child in a tote. That was discovered to not be the case, but the tote was in fact filled with unpaid meat. Deputies with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office located the suspect vehicle in their jurisdiction and detained the pair. Deputy Ludolph made contact with the suspect and discovered the stolen Walmart food, as well as, stolen items from Giant, located at 35 Town and Country Drive. The male suspect was also wanted out of Stafford County for larceny. Both were charged with two counts of larceny. The female was released by the magistrate on personal recognizance while the male was additionally served on his outstanding warrant and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION:
Truslow Road, 10/29, 8:22 p.m. Deputy J.A. Martin responded to a disturbance. The caller advised a male was walking in the middle of the street, refusing to move out of the way of vehicles. Deputies made contact with the suspect and discovered he was intoxicated. The male would provide a false identity, which was quickly uncovered. He was charged with public intoxication and providing a false identity to law enforcement. He was released by the magistrate on personal recognizance.

WARRANT SERVED:
Amazon, 220 Centreport Parkway, 10/29, 6:35 p.m. Deputy C.M. Sterne responded to an auto accident. While dealing with that, he discovered one of the drivers was wanted out of Texas on a felony offense with full extradition. The suspect was detained and charged with fugitive from justice. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond pending extradition.

From Mayor Earnie Porta:

Some of you may have noticed new 20 mph signs on a small stretch of Washington Street in Occoquan. Effective this past July 1, the Commonwealth of Virginia authorized localities to reduce the speed limit to no lower than 15 mph on state roads within a locality’s boundaries.

In accordance with that authority, and as reported earlier in a town newsletter, the Occoquan Town Council has decided to lower the speed limit to 20 mph on a section of Washington Street. Now, before I hear from a legion of self-proclaimed traffic experts, let me take a moment to explain the town’s rationale for the change.

First, as many of you have no doubt observed, our town police regularly assist in slowing and stopping traffic around school bus stops. This effort on the part of our town police is part of our commitment to enhancing the safety of children in high traffic areas of town. The stretch of Washington Street where the new speed limit signs have been installed is one such high traffic location.

Second, and I encourage people to read thoughtfully what I am conveying here, 30 mph is simply an unsafe speed for this particular portion of Washington Street, both because of school bus traffic in that area and due to the presence of two crosswalks. It is an unfortunate reality, however, that this speed is too often met or exceeded, particularly during afternoon commuting hours and at night.

Given that the judicial system generally frowns on tickets issued for going only fives mile per hour over the speed limit, the prior maximum speed limit of 25 mph provided us with little ability to deter those traveling at a speed unsafe for that stretch of road. Third and last, to increase the safety of the two crosswalks located on this stretch of Washington Street, particularly during non-daylight hours, we have long wanted to place flashing outline lights on the crosswalk signs to alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians. Unfortunately, VDOT will not authorize us to do so.

By installing our own 20 mph speed limit signs, however, we can eventually place such lights on those signs, thus further enhancing pedestrian safety in the area. While we have had to take a somewhat circuitous route to achieve our goals, we feel confident that the steps taken will help enhance the safety of an area about which residents have long been concerned. It is our hope, of course, that residents, visitors, and commuters will cooperate in this endeavor for the benefit of all.

Press release:

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From the Stafford sheriff’s office:

A 48-year-old Woodbridge woman earned her fourth DUI after deciding to exit I-95 into Stafford County.

On October 25th at approximately 11:50 p.m. Deputy C.A. Osborne responded to a drunk driver complaint. The caller advised a Toyota was serving around traffic and nearly struck two vehicles while traveling South on I-95. Luckily, the driver decided to take the 140 exit and proceeded towards Wonder Road. That is when Deputy Osborne located the vehicle and made contact with the driver.

The driver, identified as Blanca Azucena Herrera Argueta, had signs of intoxication, including glassy, bloodshot eyes and the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her breath. She would state her cousin was actually the driver, but magically disappeared right before Deputy Osborne arrived. When that lie was dissolved, field sobriety tests began.

Herrera was detained and transported to the Sheriff’s Office for a blood draw. There, she would resist and began rolling around on the floor in an attempt to delay the procedure. After her performance, she was transported to Rappahannock Regional Jail. There she was charged with driving under the influence fourth offense within ten years, second offense refusal, obstruction of justice, driving after forfeiture of her license, and driving while revoked. She was held without bond.

From the Stafford sheriff’s office:

ASSAULT:
Jay’s Sports Bar, 2866 Richmond Highway, 10/27, 2:08 a.m. Deputy R.T. Philippsen responded to an assault. The suspect got a cat-itude with the victim after seeing him with another feline. In response, the suspect brought the claws out and assaulted the victim, breaking his glasses in the process. She was charged with assault and battery, as well as, destruction of property. The suspect was released by the magistrate on pur-sonal recognizance.

DUI:
Area of Richmond Highway and Cranes Corner Road, 10/27, 2:06 a.m. Deputy M.A. Holub was traveling Northbound on Richmond Highway when the Honda next to him drifted towards him, nearly striking him. Fur-tunately, a near cat-astrophe was avoided. Deputy Holub began observing the vehicle as it traveled 11 MPH in a 45 MPH zone and conducted a traffic stop. The driver wasn’t hiss-terical, but advised he was “tired.” Deputy Holub figured the fur real reason for his driving behavior was because of alcohol, considering the driver had signs of intoxication and admitted to litter-ally having “about two beers.” The driver was charged with driving under the influence, the traffic lane violation, and impeding traffic. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

Jay’s Sports Bar, 2866 Richmond Highway, 10/27, 2:46 a.m. Deputy J.J. Holetzky was on scene for a different less than claw-some incident when he observed a vehicle quickly park. The driver, dressed as a cat’s best friend, a witch, jumped out of the driver’s seat only to pounce into some bushes. It was discovered the driver was marking her territory for she had to go to the bathroom right meow. The witchy driver had signs of intoxication and admitted to consuming alcohol at a party. She was charged with driving under the influence and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

Forest Lane Road, 10/27, 9:09 p.m. Deputy C.D. Quebedeaux was in the area attempting to cat-ch a suspect who disa-pur-ed during a previous incident. Deputy Quebedeaux would observe the suspect vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and using his cat-like reflexes, conducted a traffic stop. The suspect had signs of intoxication, but advised she was pur-fectly good to drive. After conducting field sobriety tests, deputies did not think that was paw-sible. The suspect was charged with driving under the influence and served on her outstanding warrants. She was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $2,000 secured bond.

LARCENY:
Jin’s Garden Chinese Restaurant, 263 Garrisonville Road, 10/27, 2:49 p.m. Deputy J.J. Holetzky responded to an a-paw-ling crime. Staff advised a male wasn’t there for shrimp tem-pur-a, but instead their tip jar. The cat burglar left in a pickup truck that helped Deputy Holetzky identify the suspect. The game of cat and mouse ended when Deputy Holetzky located the suspect later into his shift. During a search incident to arrest, the suspect was found to be in possession of something stronger than catnip. He was charged with larceny and possession of a controlled substance. The suspect would have time for a cat nap considering he was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

Walmart, 11 Village Parkway, 10/28, 1:22 p.m. We’re not kitten around when we tell you there was another larceny report. Staff advised a male ran out of the store faster than a cat after seeing the vacuum with approximately $300 worth of items. The suspect was accompanied by a feline suspect and Deputy D.J. Ferrell is investigating.
7-Eleven, 201 Garrisonville Road, 10/28, 3:54 p.m. Deputy R.W. Stamm responded to a larceny. Staff advised one moew-ment their phone and credit cards were there, the next, they were whiskered away by an unknown male. It was discovered later on the cards were fraudulently used.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION:
Area of Richmond Highway and Washington Drive, 10/27, 9:12 p.m. Sergeant M.L. Jacobeen responded to an intoxicated person call. The caller advised a male was stumbling around near traffic, much like Tom after getting hit over the head with a frying pan by Jerry. Sergeant Jacobeen located the suspect in the middle of the road with signs of intoxication. While the suspect advised he paw-fered to walk home, un-fur-tunately that would not be a safe option. He was charged with public intoxication and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

From The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office:

ASSAULT:
Area of Garrisonville Road and Staffordboro Boulevard, 10/26, 6:38 p.m. Deputy X.D. Bates responded to an assault. It was advised a female was assaulted in a Jeep. When deputies arrived, the suspect was gone. He did not go too far, as he was located at Hardee’s, located at 20 Prosperity Lane. The suspect had signs of intoxication and was discovered to be wanted out of Culpeper County. He was charged with assault and battery, public intoxication, as well as, served on his outstanding charge. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

DUI:
Area of Richmond Highway and Austin Park Drive, 10/25, 12:30 a.m. Deputy C.T. Richardson was traveling in the area when he observed a Corolla struggling to stay in its lane and nearly sideswipe another vehicle. Deputy Richardson conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver. The driver had signs of intoxication, no driver’s license, and admitted to consuming “a beer” at home. Despite only having “a beer” the driver was found to be in possession of receipts from two different restaurants earlier in the evening, both where alcoholic beverages were purchased. The driver was charged with driving under the influence, second offense driving without a license, refusal, and the traffic lane violation. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

Garrisonville Road, 10/25, 9:37 p.m. Deputy C.A. Osborne responded to a drunk driver complaint. The caller advised a family member drove home in an intoxicated state. Deputy Osborne made contact with the juvenile driver, who had signs of intoxication and advised he consumed cotton candy vodka at a football game. A criminal complaint for driving after illegally consuming alcohol was submitted.

Colonial Avenue, 10/26, 1:13 a.m. Sergeant E.E. West was traveling on Butler Road when she observed a vehicle traveling 55 MPH in a 35 MPH. She conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver. The driver had signs of intoxication, admitted to consuming alcohol “but not too much,” and open beers were located inside the driver’s door pocket. The driver was charged with driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content between. 15 and .2, drinking while driving, speeding, and failure to maintain the lane of travel. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

Area of Richmond Highway and Eskimo Hill Road, 10/26, 2:56 a.m. Deputy P.J. Leon was traveling on Richmond Highway when he observed a vehicle in the intersection. The vehicle was stopped past the stop bar before accelerating through the red light and began traveling Northbound in the Southbound lanes. For obvious reasons, Deputy Leon conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver. The driver had signs of intoxication, a previous DUI in Mississippi, and three bottles of gin within the vehicle. The driver was charged with driving under the influence second offense within five years with a blood alcohol content above .2, drinking while driving, stopping on a highway, failure to obey a traffic light, and failure to drive on the correct side of the road. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

500 block of Cambridge Street, 10/26, 10:56 p.m. Deputy K.P. Hall was traveling in the area when he observed the Jeep in front of him failing to maintain the lane of travel. Deputy Hall conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver. The driver had signs of intoxication and admitted to consuming “three glasses of wine” at a Halloween party. The driver would be allowed to trick-or-treat at Rappahannock Regional Jail where she was charged with driving under the influence and the traffic lane violation. She was held on a $2,500 secured bond.

FRAUD:
Lowe’s, 1330 Stafford Market Place, 10/25, 7:16 p.m. Deputy R.A. Kehoe responded to a possible fraud. Staff noticed a female attempting to purchase a large amount of gift cards while on the phone. It was discovered the person on the other end of the phone told the victim there was an issue with her bank and she needed to transfer funds into gift cards. Deputy Kehoe informed the victim of the scam and staff helped refund some of the gift cards.

Knollside Court, 10/26, 1:50 p.m. Deputy A.J. Layug responded to a fraud. The victim advised she received a call from someone posing as a Captain with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. The Conning Captain advised the victim missed jury duty and could either be arrested for ten days or pay a fee using Zelle.

LARCENY:
Walmart, 217 Garrisonville Road, 10/25, 9:10 a.m. Deputy C.D. Sullivan responded to a larceny. Just like how the Washington Commanders stole a win yesterday, staff advised a male stole from the business. The male, sporting a Commanders hoodie, was identified and a warrant for shoplifting was obtained.

Kohl’s, 1220 Stafford Market Place, 10/26, 2:24 p.m. Deputy A.E. Epps, Deputy C.M. Ramirez and Deputy S.M. Craig responded to a larceny in progress. Staff advised three suspects were actively concealing items. The three were stopped and detained after they left the business. The three juveniles were discovered to be in possession of nearly $900 worth of stolen goods. All three were issued a criminal complaint for shoplifting.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION:
Denali Drive, 10/26, 2:45 a.m. Shiver me timbers! Deputy K.F. Bierfeldt responded to a pirate who hit land ho at the wrong residence. The caller advised an unknown intoxicated female, dressed as a pirate, was refusing to leave their yard. Deputy Bierfeldt made contact with the scallywag, who was stumbling around and not because of her peg leg. She was charged with public intoxication and set sail to Rappahannock Regional Jail where she was held until sober.

7-Eleven, 3623 Richmond Highway, 10/26, 11:34 p.m. Deputy R. Tully responded to a disturbance. It was advised a male was drinking outside the business, yelling at females, and refusing to leave. When Deputy Tully arrived, it was clear the suspect wanted nothing to do with him, for he attempted to flee the scene, even after being directed he was not free to go. Due to the obvious signs of intoxication, Deputy Tully attempted to detain the suspect. The suspect would resist, but eventually was taken into custody. During his one-way trip to Rappahannock Regional Jail, the suspect would make threats towards Deputy Tully. The suspect was charged with obstruction of justice by force, obstruction of justice by threats, and public intoxication. He was held on a $1,000 secured bond.

Press Release:

ANIMAL CRUELTY:
Grants Court, 10/23, 6:04 p.m. Deputy T.G. Croson responded to an animal cruelty call. The reporting party advised bleach was poured into a fish tank, killing multiple fish and destroying coral. The investigation is ongoing.

DUI:
Amercia’s Best Value Inn, 605 Warrenton Road, 10/23, 9:27 p.m. Deputy R.T. Philippsen responded to a hit and run. Staff advised a guest struck the motel’s staircase with her Volkswagen. Deputy Philippsen made contact with the driver who had signs of intoxication and admitted to chugging a Corona. After conducting field sobriety tests, she was detained. She was charged with driving under the influence, as well as, hit and run. She was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $1,000 secured bond.

LARCENY:
Virginia ABC, 50 North Stafford Complex Center, 10/23, 7:51 p.m. Deputy J.A. Albright responded to a larceny. Staff advised out of all the things to take, a male suspect stole two mini-bottles of Fireball. Deputy Albright was able to identify the suspect and located him later into her shift. He was charged with larceny and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

THREATS:
North Stafford High School, 839 Garrisonville Road, 10/23, 1:15 p.m. Deputy A.N. Taormina was conducting his SRO duties when he was informed of a possible threat. Students were discovered passing a note regarding a threat to the school. The threat was investigated by deputies, school administration, and school security and discovered to not be credible. Out of abundance of caution, additional deputies are patrolling the school.

WARRANT SERVED:
Entrance ramp to Northbound I-95 from Centreport Parkway, 10/23, 7:35 p.m. Detectives with the Special Investigations Unit observed a wanted suspect behind the wheel of a Hyundai. The suspect was wanted through Stafford County for possession of controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and contempt of court. With the assistance of Deputy W.A. Bolinsky, a high-risk stop was conducted and the suspect was detained without incident. He was served on his outstanding warrants and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

From The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office:

ASSAULT:
Chesterfield Lane, 10/24, 12:30 a.m. Deputy S.A. Edwards responded to an assault. The victim advised his roommate, who appeared under the influence of something, assaulted him as he laid in bed. Deputy Edwards made contact with the suspect who had signs of intoxication and during a search incident to arrest, suspected controlled substances were located on his person. He was charged with assault and battery, as well as, possession of controlled substances. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $3,000 secured bond.

DUI:
Area of Coal Landing Road and Greenridge Drive, 10/24, 6:22 p.m. Sergeant E.E. West and Deputy S.C. Martin responded to a single vehicle auto accident. A vehicle crashed into a ditch. The reporting party advised prior to crashing, the suspect driver was speeding, swerving, and nearly crashed into them head on. Deputies made contact with the driver who had signs of intoxication. It was also discovered she was consuming alcohol while behind the wheel. The driver was charged with driving under the influence, drinking while driving, reckless driving, refusal, and obstruction of justice. She was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail until sober.

FRAUD:
Rock Raymond Drive, 10/24, 5:52 p.m. Deputy D.A. Robertson responded to a fraud. The victim advised she received a call from someone posing as a Sergeant of the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. The scheming Sergeant advised the victim missed jury duty and needed to pay a bail bond company to avoid being arrested. After paying the first payment, the beguiling bondsman requested additional money. Westie Way, 10/24, 7:24 p.m. Deputy C.M. Sterne responded to a fraud. Instead of posing as a local law enforcement agency, this scammer decided to pose as a federal law enforcement agency. The scammer explained to the victim that someone was using her information to launder money. The only way to resolve the issue would be to convert money into Bitcoin and allow him to have access to it.

LARCENY:
Home Depot, 305 Worth Avenue, 10/24, 7:14 p.m. Deputy J.A. Martin responded to a larceny. Staff advised a male suspect stole nearly $200 worth of items.

VANDALISM:
Blue Beacon Truck Wash, 50 South Gateway Drive, 10/24, 5:16 p.m. Deputy W.A. Bolinsky responded to a vandalism. The victim advised the driver of a Mercedes was displeased with being behind a semi-truck. In response, the Mercedes driver slashed the victim’s tires. The suspect was described as a black male with short hair in his 30’s wearing a neon green top. Area of Richmond Highway and Corporate Drive, 10/24, 10:48 p.m. Deputy J.J. Suh responded to a vandalism. The victim advised while traveling in the area, the driver of a black Kia Soul threw a container of ice at his vehicle.